If you’ve ever attended a job interview, chances are that the interviewer has wrapped up by asking you, “Do you have any questions for us?”
If you’ve found yourself at a loss for words, this article is for you. Today, I will give you 30 smart questions to ask at the end of an interview.
Asking questions at the end of your interview shows your confidence that you are fit for the job. If you are exploring a few job offers, it also allows you to make a more informed choice as to which one would be best for you.
Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview
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1. Do You Want to Know Anything Else About Me?
This question shows that you are open and honest, with nothing to hide. It demonstrates that you are confident and not afraid to talk about yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses.
2. How Will My Day-to-Day Job Look Like?
This question allows you to get a deeper insight into how each day will be for you. The interviewer will get a chance to explain in further detail what they will expect from you, what your schedule will look like, and what projects or activities you might be working on any given day.
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3. How Will My First Day Look Like?
This question is similar to the previous one, but it allows you to allay your fears about the first day and learn what you’ll need to get started. It will give you a chance to prepare so you can settle in a bit easier.
4. What Kind of Team Will I Be Working With?
This is a brilliant question that allows you to learn more about the teamwork expected at the company. You might learn about specific people you will be working with or how team members collaborate and communicate in the workplace.
The interviewer might tell you about after-hours activities they organize to help team bonding, for example, or specific software tools they use to facilitate communication.
The question also shows that you take teamwork seriously and are prepared to work with others towards a common goal.
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5. What Is the Company Culture Like?
Asking this question demonstrates that you’re willing to conform to the company culture, get along with your coworkers, and work together with others. Being able to share the company’s vision is essential for being a good employee.
Besides, getting an answer to this question should be important to you as well. You want to make sure you will vibe with the company culture and that the company won’t have any values that clash with your own or a culture you will feel uncomfortable with.
If that is the case, you won’t be able to concentrate on your job properly, and it can detract from your performance and hurt your chances of progressing in the job.
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6. What Opportunities for Promotions Can I Work Towards?
You should also be curious whether the job will offer any opportunities to get promoted to a higher-ranking or better-paying position.
That will help you accurately weigh your options if you are considering several job opportunities.
If a position offers no opportunities to progress in the future and another position does allow for promotions, you might want to go with the latter opportunity, even if the pay is slightly lower at first. It’s your career on the line, after all, and you want to go to work every day knowing there is something to look forward to.
Additionally, it will show the interviewer that you are thinking ahead, are ambitious, and are willing to do what it takes to advance your career. Candidates who are satisfied with getting stuck in a single position may also be satisfied with putting in subpar effort and getting subpar results.
At the same time, you don’t want to make it seem like getting promoted is the only thing you care about. It could set off red flags if you jump immediately to this question.
When asking this question, you need to demonstrate that you understand that hard work and effort will be required to get promoted and that you are willing to put in that hard work to get there.
Also Read: What To Include In A Cover Letter For A Job?
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7. What Skills Are Necessary for This Job?
Ask the interviewer what skills they are looking for in a candidate. That gives you a chance to ensure you have the right skills for the job.
8. What Skills Should I Improve on Before Starting?
If the interviewer says you were a good fit for the position, don’t be afraid to ask what you can do to improve your chances for the position or whether there are any skills you should practice before starting.
Improving those skills will give you a chance to start your job off with a bang, providing excellent performance from day one.
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9. What Should I Know About Your Customers/Clients?
This information might be slightly more important if you are dealing with customers or clients directly. It will help you understand the tone of voice the company is expecting you to use when dealing with customers and the type of brand image they want you to present.
However, even if you are not working with clients directly but rather on general operations, production, etc., asking this question will give you a window into what the clients want.
It will also show that you care about providing clients with quality service, making you an asset to the company.
Explore: Short & Sweet Follow-up Email Samples After Interview
10. What Are Some Goals or Milestones I Will Be Working Towards?
Ask the interviewer what they expect to get out of new employees at specific milestones.
For example, where do they want you to be in one month? Three months? One year?
The question shows that you can set goals and work towards them.
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11. Are There Any Hesitations You Might Have That I Can Clear Up?
It’s essential not to use negative phrasing when asking this question. Don’t ask whether they see any flaws in you, why they are not considering hiring you, or why they think you might not be a good fit for the position.
Instead, offer to clear up any hesitations or doubts they might have about your qualifications. Show that you are prepared to answer any question, whether it’s about your education, credentials, or performance at a previous job.
It also shows that you can be honest about yourself and your weaknesses and that you can hold yourself accountable.
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12. Do You Have Any Feedback About My Resume or Interview Performance?
This is an interesting question that your interviewer probably won’t have heard from many candidates. It serves a useful purpose, and it allows you to ensure you don’t waste your time even if they don’t end up hiring you.
It can give you some insights into the mindset of interviewers in the industry, what they look for on your resume, and how you can improve your performance in interviews. Your interviewer might be able to give you some feedback on things you should include on or leave out of your resume and how to answer certain questions.
Furthermore, it demonstrates to the interviewer that you are receptive to constructive criticism and feedback and actively seek it out. It’s a positive trait, as such employees are always looking for ways to improve their job performance and welcome advice on how to do so.
13. Why Is This Position Available?
Not many candidates think to ask why the company is looking for a new hiree for the position in the first place. Asking this question can reveal a lot about the company.
For example, if the answer is that the position was newly created, it shows that the company is expanding and that there may be room for further growth in the future.
The interviewer might also answer that the previous employee was fired or quit. In that case, you might try to find out why the employee quit – was there something about the job they didn’t like?
Was the job too overwhelming for them? You need to make sure you will be able to handle a heavy workload and a fast-paced environment if required for the position.
If the previous employee was fired, why? What can you do to avoid making the same mistakes that they did?
The previous employee might also have been promoted, which is an excellent sign, as it shows that you probably have a chance of advancing if you take the position yourself.
Also Read: What Does WFH Mean? A Guide
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14. What Did You Like About the Previous Employee?
If the previous employee was promoted or left the company for a better job position at a different business, ask the interviewer about the things they liked about the person who held the position before you.
What qualities or skills did the previous employee have that they are looking for in a replacement?
Of course, the question doesn’t apply if the previous employee was fired. In that case, you want to ask which negative qualities they had, such as a poor work ethic.
15. What Do You Enjoy About Working Here?
This question allows you to learn more about why the interviewer enjoys working at the company. The interviewer might tell you about the awesome company culture and the sense of belonging that the CEO attempts to create.
Or, they might tell you about the awesome bonuses and promotions available with hard work. In either case, it also allows you to bond with the interviewer and learn first-hand what working at the company is like.
Also Read: How To Write An Email For A Job?
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16. What Sets Your Company and This Position Apart?
This fabulous question gives the interviewer a chance to explain what sets the company apart from competitors who may also be looking to hire you.
Perhaps they offer free educational opportunities to employees so they can expand their knowledge and get a chance to advance in their careers in the future. Perhaps they’ll tell you about events they organize for employees.
One interesting thing about this question is that it can give you a chance to learn whether the company is interested in impressing you. If they see you as a good candidate, they will be scrambling to tell you why you should work for them instead of someone else.
17. What Makes Employees Stick With This Company?
This question lets you learn more about the turnover rate of the enterprise. You can also ask the interviewer directly what made them stay with the company all these years.
18. If You Were Able to Change the Company, What Would You Do?
This question is a more subtle way of asking what the interviewer doesn’t like about the job. Again, you want to steer the conversation away from a negative vibe, so don’t explicitly ask them what they hate about working at the company.
Instead, ask them what they would change about their position or the company in general. It will help you learn about which things employees don’t like, some of which may be a dealbreaker to you.
19. What Problems Can I Solve at This Company?
Asking this question indicates that you are a problem solver. It demonstrates that you are willing to tackle issues and come up with smart solutions.
Also Read: LinkedIn Headline Examples For Job Seekers
20. What Challenges Come With the Job?
This question is similar to the previous one. However, it’s a bit more subtle, as it doesn’t require the interviewer to talk about real difficulties the company is facing.
Instead, they can talk about challenges the previous employee faced, for example, such as juggling their personal life with their work responsibilities.
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21. What Does Success Look Like a Year Down the Road?
Asking this is helpful because what the company might see as success could differ from what you might think success looks like.
You might break this question down into a timeline, asking what you need to do to be successful six months later, one year later, two years later, and even five years later. It helps you learn what goals the company wants you to help them achieve.
22. Can You Tell Me More About [Specific Project]?
It could help to ask about a specific project or feature update you heard the company is working on. Asking this question shows that you did your homework and are interested in helping the company expand and better serve their customers.
23. How Much Hands-On Interaction With My Manager or Feedback Should I Expect?
It could help to learn more about the kind of supervision you will be getting at the company.
Will your supervisor or manager be giving you constant feedback to help you grow? Does the company encourage a more hands-off approach, providing employees with more independence and flexibility?
Ideally, the company will take the middle road, providing feedback, encouragement, and support but also giving workers their space to be creative and come up with ideas of their own.
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24. How Has the Company Evolved Over the Past Five Years?
This question does not apply if the company is new. That’s why it’s critical to do your homework beforehand.
However, if the business has been operating for a while, ask how the company has evolved.
Has its overall goals and vision expanded beyond the original plan for the company? In what ways has the company culture evolved to better support employees?
Are new positions opening up, and is the company expanding by adding new locations or features?
25. Is There Anyone You Would Like Me to Meet?
Ask if the interviewer would like you to meet with anyone else before starting. It demonstrates that you are willing to work with others, and it also helps you learn if you will have to go through additional interviews.
26. What’s the Timeline Going Forward?
Ask the interviewer what you can expect going forward in terms of the hiring process. You’ll want to know when they will reach out to you, how soon the position is available, and so on.
The question also indicates readiness for the job.
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27. Is There Anything I Should Learn Before Starting?
Ask if there is any knowledge you should learn, any course you should take, or any book you might want to read before starting. It shows a willingness to learn, and it will help you start the job off on the right foot.
28. Will Anyone Be Reporting to Me?
You can ask whether there will be any workers reporting you to and if so, how many. It can help you get a better idea of your responsibilities.
29. What Kind of Training Do You Provide?
Ask about job-specific training opportunities that the company provides. This doesn’t refer to general educational opportunities that can help you in your future career but training that will help you work on specific jobs the position requires.
30. Tell Me More About the CEO
Ask about the CEO and their long-term vision for the company. Do your homework beforehand and bring up a specific positive quality; ask them to tell you more.
Explore: How Many Hours Is Part-time A Week?
Questions Not to Ask at the End of Your Interview
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Since we’re already on the topic, I thought it might be good to quickly touch upon the types of questions not to ask at the end of your interview.
A lot of candidates mistakenly ask these questions, but they’re not really what interviewers want to hear when they ask, “Do you have any questions for us?”
- What does the job entail? This question shows a total lack of research – it proves you couldn’t do the bare minimum and actually read the job description when applying.
- What benefits can you offer me? The interviewer is probably not the one deciding this. You also don’t want to seem too interested in benefits and vacation days, as it can indicate a weak work ethic. It could also come across as arrogant. The right time to discuss benefits and vacation days is when you actually get a job offer, not beforehand.
- What is the salary? Salaries are usually posted in the job description as well.
- Do you have flexible hours? Be careful about asking this question. You don’t want to come across as someone who might show up late.
- Do I have to work with other people? Phrasing the question this way can make you come across as anti-social and unwilling to work with others.
- When will I get a raise? Talk about opportunities for advancement instead of outright asking when you can get a promotion or raise.
Also Read: Part-time vs Full-time
Tips for Asking Questions at the End of Interviews
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While I covered both questions you should ask and those you shouldn’t, I feel it’s necessary to go over some pointers that can help you ask the right questions.
The first is to ask questions that require more than a yes/no response. For example, instead of asking whether you will be working with a team, ask how big the team will be.
That encourages more interaction with the interviewer and can lead to follow-up questions.
Choose your questions carefully. Before your interview, come up with a list of possible questions you might ask.
Then, at the end of the interview, choose 2-4 questions out of your list, depending on how the interview went and which questions were already addressed and answered throughout the interview.
Many interviewers will end the interview by asking if you have any questions. If they don’t, ask them if you could ask them a few questions of your own.
Most of all, though, be confident. Practice meditation if you get nervous often.
You want to speak clearly and confidently.
Ask these questions before officially wrapping up the interview; if you ask them while already on your way out, you won’t be giving the interviewer an opportunity to properly answer the questions.
Also Read: Best Self Evaluation Examples For Performance Reviews
Wrapping It Up
Asking the right questions at the end of an interview is a skill that gets better with time. The first time you do it, you might be a bit nervous, but you’ll eventually become more confident.
Don’t worry about being nervous, though – asking questions nervously is better than not asking questions at all.
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